Christmas At Home

Christmas at my house is always at least six or seven times more pleasant than anywhere else. We start drinking early. And while everyone else is seeing only one Santa Claus, we’ll be seeing six or seven.
W. C. Fields
American comic and actor, 1880-1946

What is Christmas like at your house? Tonight, we will be going to my Dad’s church where they will have a Christmas program. After the service, the whole family will head over to Mom and Dad’s for Oyster Stew (or chicken soup and chili for those who can’t stomach the oysters). After dinner, we will have a family Christmas program with the grand kids performing their favorite Christmas songs, Grandpa reading the Christmas story from the Bible and then we all participate in Mom’s activity which changes from year to year. (We never know what to expect.) Then we’ll all head to the basement where the kids will get get to open their presents from Grandma and Grandpa. The evening will also include an over-indulgence of desert and lots of coffee! Then we’ll all head to our own homes for another two hours of getting ready for Christmas morning. It’s usually 2am before we go to bed. Christmas morning, like any house with young kids, we’ll be awake bright and early to find that Santa did indeed visit our house and boy, look at all of the presents!

I usually like to make sure that the kids know why we have Christmas so we will usually tell about the birth of Christ one more time with an emphasis on why he came to this world. Then, with dripping anticipation, we’ll let the kids open the presents that are under the tree.

It usually takes a couple of days to recover. Just in time for my birthday on the 28th!

Have a great Christmas! Remember why Jesus came to this earth. Remember that the baby who was born on Christmas morning was the supreme sacrifice for your sins. Go into these two days with and attitude of thanksgiving.